"Fees, Fees, Fees" has become synonymous with "increases, increases, increases" when it comes to local government. The 74% increase in the Hernando County General Fund budget does not seem to be enough for local officials pocketbook because we are now being faced with another increase in our fire rates for the Hernando County Fire Rescue service. This does not even take into consideration the 34% increase in our garbage rates that just took effect at the blessing our our county commissioners.

Hernando County Commissioners, past and present, have never scrutinized the budget expenditures made by the administration of the HCFR to the degree necessary to be good stewards of our tax money. How could they? Our fire rates increased 77% since 2001 with nary a blink of the eye by our local officials. HCFR is even asking that an annual inflationary rate increase of 5.5% be included in this request so they do not have to come back to ask for our tax money again. The annual inflationary rate for senior citizens has never come close to 5.5%.

Last year during budget discussions, Chief Nickerson was asked by the public why he had so many vehicles parked outside the various fire stations and the county commissioners did not even investigate the issue when they raised our rates last year. It is interesting to note that highest number of under-used vehicles in the county was attributed to the Hernando County Fire Rescue District. These under-used vehicles by the HCFR totaled 12 in all and ranged from tankers, to trucks, to sport utility vehicles and other related equipment. By the way, this information was available in an outside audit conducted in 2005, at taxpayer expense. All the county commissioners had to do in 2005 was read the audit to see the taxpayers have not been crying wolf.

As for the 34% increase in garbage rates, the county commissioners took away our freedom of choice in the free market to choose our garbage haulers in 2001. Even though it is not mandatory in the rural areas for garbage pick-up,we have no choice of haulers to choose from in the open market. No competitive bidding for private consumers exists because we are forced to use the companies chosen for us by the county commissioners, at structured rates for our service. It amazes me how local government can create a monopoly in the garbage industry without violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The term collusion seems to be only reserved for private industry since the local government finds nothing wrong in setting prices for local private garbage services and creating a private monopoly the citizens are forced to use for garbage services

With all these fee, fees, fees, please do not forget that our Emergency Medical Services will increase again this year by another 3%. This 3% annual increase was built into the county ordinance when it was approved in 2002. If you are keeping track of these fees, fees, fees, it should be noted that our EMS fees have increased 21% since the enactment of this MSTU.

The Hernando County motto on budgetary matters should be "Keep your eye on our right hand so you won't know what our other hand it doing". What part of tax relief don't the county commissions fathom...

In closing, I will leave you with this quote from President Ronald Reagan, "Balancing the budget is a little like protecting your virtue: You just have to learn to say no".